Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated woven wire conveyor system 30 includes a plurality of helically-wound spiral wires 20 disposed between two connector rods 22, 24 which are positioned to be sequentially adjacent in the lengthwise direction of belt assembly and intended travel. Such combination of a helically-wound spiral and associated connector rods defines a plurality of widthwise side-by-side open-access recesses 32, 34. Such recesses extend across the width of the belt and are utilized in shaping roll protrusions for uniform belt drive and increased drive contact across the width of the belt. That is, parallelogram-shaped protrusions are machined on the surface of a drive roll or sprocket so as to interfit with the confronting surface openings 32, 34 of the conveyor belt. Thus, a drive roll or sprocket having specially-shaped protrusions 26, 28 provides for uniform drive across the belt width and increased widthwise dimensional drive contact. A woven wire conveyor system of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,916, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
One limiting aspect of such a woven wire conveyor system is the decrease in effectiveness of the drive sprockets and rolls with protrusions once there is a build-up of product and/or debris on the surface of the roll from where the protrusions begin to protrude radially outward, i.e., the root diameter. One theory in this regard is that the occurrence of build-up of product and/or debris causes the belt to ride above the desired pitch diameter of the roll, thereby creating a pitch mismatch which causes the protrusions to lose proper contact with the open recesses in the woven wire mesh. Ultimately, this loss of proper contact can cause the belt to cease movement and lead to system failure.
While the conveyor belt of U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,916 exhibits outstanding performance and has enjoyed substantial commercial success, the eventual build-up of product and/or debris imposes a potential limitation on utilizing the belt to its fullest capability. Accordingly, there exists a need in the marketplace for a woven wire conveyor system that can reduce or substantially eliminate the build-up of product and/or debris and thereby provide a cleaner conveying environment.